Racing-game apparatus.



No. 870,473. PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

G. F. W. SCHULTZE.

RACING GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1906.

3 SHEETSSHEHT 1.

WITNESSES: [.V VEN TOR.

I} I a V 7! BY M AMA ATTORNEY.

PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907. G. F. W. SGHULTZE.

RACING GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.17. 1906.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

"MI I 3/ 5'6 47" a r 49 L7! 0 //?l I I; 4 26 1241 I J r 55' 7 "1 A 5'4. I I I 4 I 5 53 58 57 I 58 5/ 5 d 66 imi 5 5 72 Q I c \K Ref 73 WITNESSES: i5 k55 'INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

s SHEETS-SIIIEET I; JZQEN/JTOR.

G. F. W. SOHULTZEI RACING GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.17, 1906.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES r frnn r OFFICE- GUSTAV F. W. SOHULTZE,

OF'OAKLAND; CALIFORNIA, ASSIAGNOR TO sonot'rzn NOVELTY 00., A CORPORATION OF'OALIFQRNIA.

- RACING-GAME APPARATUS. T

' Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV F. W. SouUL'rzE,'a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have in-' vented certain newand useful Improvements in Rac ing-Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. The invention relates to an improved game apparatus, wherein a series of independently controlled iigures, such as horses, automobiles, bicyclists, or other objects are propelled around a race track at a rate of speed indicative of a race; the objects of the invention being to start the substantially alined figures from a common starting point, or post, and to cause the same to come to rest at such post in the order of winning, that is, the difference. in the position of the objects being only such as to designate the advance of one over the other at the conclusion of the race, each of the 'said racing figures being brought to rest at the same moment and at a point or position representing the judges stand; also to automatically return to the player of the game selectingor picking. the winning horse or figure, the token deposited by such player within the register designating such horse Or figure of the series of horses or figures, there being a register for each racing horse or figure oi the game; in other words, the player designating the winning horse or figure by a guess previously registered prior to the starting of the race,has returned the token deposited whenregistering the guess, the return or loss of" the deposited token being dependent upon the coincident or diversity of the registered guess with the position which the designated horse Or figure at the conclusion of the race, bears to the position occupied by the remaining horses or figures; also to provide means whereby the speed of the racing figures is varied at different times 'during the racing'movement thereof, in order that the selectingoi the winning horse or figure of the series of racing figures is.rendered entirely guess work on the part of the players of the game. I

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a front view in elevation partly sectioned, the racing figures-being removedfrom the propelling arms; F ig. 3 is a sectionalplan view disclosing the interior mechanism of the apparatus; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 1 of Fig. 3 of the drawings; Fig. 5' is a rear view in elevation partly sectioned, the racing figures and the track guides being removed; Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the gear mechanism for transmit ting motion from the drive shaft to the propelling means for the racing figures; Fig. 7 is aperspective view of one of the cams for controlling the propelling arms for the racing figures; Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

17.1906. Serialh'o. 334.877."

view of one of the registers, said view disclosing the controlling devices for the deposited token and the means for operating said devices; Fig. 9 is a detail side view'of the stop lever and its connection withv the drive shaft; and Fig. 10 is a side .view' elevationoi the' means for actuating the stop pins to release the tokens deposited in'the' registers of the non-winning figures of I the race. g Y

In thedrawings the numeral 1 designates any suitable style of an outer casing, within which the operat- .65 ing mechanism is contained. This casingds' preferably circular in form and is closed by a cover, said. cover designating the field 2 or the race course. The circular track is formed by a series of independently supported rings 3, 4, 5, which are interposed. between the field 2 and the circular wall of the casing 1, the rings being separated so as to form in. the presentcase four clearance spaces or trackways 6. 7. 8. .9. These t'rackrings are supported by the cross bars 10, which 7 connect with the posts 11,projectin'g from the said 7 5 rings and the posts 12-13 upwardly, projecting respectively from the field or cover 2, and the circular wall of the casing 1. By this means four independent circulartrackways are formed, within and through which work Or move respectively, the uprights 14, 14, 15, 15. These uprights, which form a rigid angular extension of the radially extending propelling arms 16,

16, 17,17, carry and support respectively the racing figures 18,18, 19, I l9..

The radial arms 16, 16, 17, 17, are secured to the. 8 separated collars 20, 20 21, 21, loosely mounted on the vertical shaft 22, to which shaft is secured the commutator 22. The said shaft 22 works in suitable bearings on the frame Or bed plate 22", located and supported I within the casing 1, and the said shaft is driven through.

themedium of the intermeshing pinions 23, 23, the latter pinion being mounted on the driven shaft 24. Thief shaft is driven from the driveshait 24, through the medium of a gear 25 thereon, meshing with a pinion 25 on the shaft 24. "The said shafts 24 and 24 work in bearings of the frame plate 22", the shaft 24 extending through and beyond the casing 1. Any suitable means may be utilized to rotate the said shaft to wind the spring 26 secured thereon, but by preference a'handle 2G is used for such purpose. The spring attached at' one end to the said shaft 24, is held wound by means of the usual clutch and pawl mechanism 27, until the 7 inner end of the iulcrumed lock lever 27 is moved out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet or lock disk 28, secured to the shaft 24. When the said lever 27" has been thrown to move its inner end upward or out of engagement with the disk 28, to release the same, the tension of the wound spring 26 imparts rotation to the shalt 24', the motion of which through the medium of the before described mechanism is transmitted to the verticalshaft 22, for imparting circular travel to the radial arms 16, l6, 17, 17, carrying the racing figures 18, 18 ,-19, -19 The'inner end of each of the said radial arms is downwardly bent and the lower end thereof inwardly flanged, the inwardly flanged portion 28 of the arms being held respectively against the surface ofthe irregularly fitted earns 29, 29, 30, 30- which cams are secured to the cross shaft 31, working in bearings 32. The inner end of eaeh radial arm is held against the surface of the cams 29, 29, 30, 30, by means of a tension spring 33, which spring connects the arms 16, 16 17,17 with the upright34 of the bracket 35, the hub of .which bracket is keyed to the vertical shaft 22. The bracket 25, with the shaft 31, is carried around with the rotary movement of the said shaft To one end of the shaft 31, carrying the cams 29, 29, 30, 30', is secured what shall be termed a speed regulating disk-B6, the arms 36 radially projecting therefrom during circular travel of the shaft 31 bearing against plate 37, located within the circular path of the disk'36. As either projecting arms strike the projecting plate 37, the 'shaft'3l is part rotated in order that the arm bearing against the said plate 37 may ride thereover." This movement of the shaft 31, turns the came 29, 29, .30 so as to force the flanged end of one radial arm from within the depressed portion of its cam and onto the raised surface portion thereof,-while at the same'time causing the flanged end of another radial arm to move from offthe raised surface of its cam 30 and by the pressure oi its connecting spring 33 to be forced into the depressed portion of such cam, v This results-in one of the-radial him with the racing figure propelled thereby being advanced ,a slight distance, while one of the other radial arms with its propelled 35 racing figure is retarded or dropped back correspond ingly; consequently there is a continued advancing and retarding of'the radial arms during the working of the apparatus, resulting in the racing figures indiscriminately gaining and losing'on each other during the travel thereof within the described circular trackways, there being, no certainty which racing figure will terminate the race in advance of the other. This uncertain'tyas to the final position of the racingfigurcs, is created by reason of there being an odd-number of arms 36 to the regulating disk 36, while the numbenof the racing figures is an evenone. Again, the earns 29, 29

30, 30 are so placed on the shaft 31, that the depressed portions thereof are presented to the spring held radial arms at'irregular periods, although two or three of the arms may be resting on the raised portions of the respective cams at ,the same time, one of the racing figures will be in advance of the remaining figures, but which one will terminate in the lead, cannotbe determined until the racing figures are brought to rest at the conclusion of the race.

The mechanism is'brought to a stop, by means ofa stop lever 38, the inner end of which, when lowered, engages with a pin 38, projecting from one face of the gear 39, secured to the driven shaft 24. This lever 38.

(Wis keyed to a rock shaft 39, from which shaft depends the trip lever 40, which lever, during the working of the apparatus, is gradually forced outward by a stud 40f, projecting from the face of the rotating gear 41, said gear being driven from a pinion 42 on the driving shaft 24. As the said trip lever 40 is thrown outward By this means, some by the pin or stud 40-0f the rotating gear 41, it serves to gradually rotate therock shaft 39, to throw the inner end of the stop lever 38 downward, so as to be in the path of the pin 38 projecting from the gear 39. The moment the pin 38 bears against the inner end of the stop lever 38, the shaft 24 is held against rotation. During the winding movement of the "shaft 24, the outer end of the stop lever 38 is forced downward, in order tothrow its inner end clear of the pin 38", by means of the chain 42, which connects the said lever with an arm 43, carried by the'inner end portion of the 'shaft 24". As this arm is swung downwafd, by the winding rotation of the shaft 24/, it exerts a downward pull on" the connection 42', which draws therewith the outer end of the stop lever 38, lifting its inner end clear of the pin 38, at the same time impdrti nga reverse rotation to the shaft 39 and forcing the lower end of the trip lever 45 inward, so as to be in the path of travel of the stud 40", carried by the gear 41, thus positioning the triplever to actuatejth stop lever as previously described, when the, stud 40 during its travel bears onto and gradually forces the said trip.

lever 38 outwardly. g

The adjustment of the actuating mechanism is such that the racing figures are started in substantial aline ment from a starting point or post 43, and are broug ht to rest at such post after having-made a number of Cit: cuits of the race course, the figure being slightly in advance of the others andbeyond the starting post i l e In order that a number of'players may take part in the game and designate the figure or figures selected to win the race, thereby creating an interest in the game, a register is provided for each racing figure. 1n the present case, four registers 44, 44, 45, 45" are provided, within which a disk or token used by the player is to be deposited. The passageway of each register is. partially closed by a finger 46-, extended therein. These fingers' 46 forwardlyprojectfrdm a rock shaft 46, 'which shaft is normally heldfto'hold the fingers upward within thepassage-way'oi the f registers by means of the counter-balance weight 47, adjustably secured on the rearwardly extending rod 47, of the rock shaft 46. The said rock shaft at oneend-is provided' with a forwardly extending arm 48,- a later-- ally projecting extension 48 of which rests or bears lightly on the outer end ofthe lock lever 27. The momenta player deposits a designated token 49 within the passageway of the register indicative of the onto the finger 46 extended within such passage-way and-is held therein. The weight of the-deposited 1 f'tokenh'49, is sufficient to over-balance the counter- ,balancing weight 47, consequently the rock shaft 46 isturned downwardly, carrying therewith the arm 48, thelateral' extension 48 of which depressestherouter' end portion of the fu'lcrumed lock lever 27 until its shaft 24, is their free to be turned by the starter of the 5 race, to wind the spring 26 for actuating the beforedescribed operating mechanism.

. The downward movement of the arm 48 continues through the medium of the token or tokens deposited by the players to register a guess as to the winning figure or figures of the racing figures, until the samebears racing figure selected to win the race, the'sarn falls i inner end isfreed from the lock disk 28. The drive a held within the register and be exposed to the view.

of the players, through'the slotted portion 50, of the registers, which slotted face of the registers is covered by a transparent plate 50. 6

With the deposited tokenortokens thus positioned to designate theregistered guess or guesses of the players as to the-racing figurev or figures selected to win the race, the starter of the game throws down the handle 26,- to wind the spring 26, of the driving shaft 24, the winding movement of which shaft causes the stud 52, projecting therefrom to bear against the pivoted lever 52, and force the same inward, drawing the connecting cord,'chain or red 53 therewith, which, being connected byamember 53 teen extension 53 of the check lever 49, secured to the springheld rock shaft 54, operates the said lever 49 to force its upper end forwardly, to free respective registers communicate, Fig. 8 of the drawings.

the extension 48 of the arm 48, thus allowing the arm 48 to continue its downward movement, until the stop fingers 46 have been lowered sufficiently to permit the inserted token or tokens 49 to clear or pass over the obstructing fingers 46, and to drop into'tho runway or runways 54, with which the passageways of the The token or tokens are held withinsuch runways 54 by means-of the stop pins 55, one of such pins pro jecting within each runway, a distance below the fingers 46. These pins 55 are secured ,to and project i from the plates 55, attached to and upwardly extending from the spring held rock shaft 54, the rotating of which shaft actuates the plates 55 to move the stop pins 55 into and out of the runways 54. The moment thestop pins'55 are forced inward or clearof the run ways 54, the token or tokens 'deposited therein are free to fall. Below the stop pins 55, each runway 54 is provided with a cut off gate 56, the position of which gates determines whether the deposited token is to be deflected toward the front of the casing and into the pocket 56 of the runways, or toward the machine into a receptacle 56 placed therein to receive the deposited token, 8 of the drawings. If the token is deflected into the pocket- 56 it-is returned to the player of ,the game having deposited the same within the register for such pocket. However should thedeposited token be deflected into the receptacle situated within the casing of the apparatus, the same becomes lost to the player.

Whether or 'not the deposited token be returned to the player, is dependent on the coincidence or the diversity of the registered guess of the player as to the selected winner of the racing figures, with the figure disclosed, when the figures are brought to a state of rest, to be the winner of the race. i,

Each cut off or deflecting gate 56, is loose on a transverse rod 57, the tail extension 57 of each gate being slightly upwardly inclined and having secured thereto a weight 58, the tendency of which is ti) hold the gate in an open position, to deflect the deposited token toward the front of the apparatus and into the pocket 56. These cut off or deflecting gates are forced forwardly to close the branch of the runway leading toward the pocket 56, and to open the branch of the runway serving to deliver the deposited token into the receptacle 56 within the apparatus to receive the same, by means of the bail 58, secured to the spring held rock shaft .54,

'which shaft as swung upward by the forward movement of the check lever 49, raises'the tail extension 57, of each cut off or deflecting gate 56, until the same rests onand is supported by the spring pressed arma tures 59, Fig. 4 of the drawings. These armatures 59,

are forced inward, as the tail extensions press against the same, during their upward movement, but the moment thesaid extensions are carried above the armatures, the said armatures fall outwardly or into normal position, and prevent the tail extensions lowering, until the supporting armature is withdrawn.

The movement of the armatures '59 to release the supported tail extensions 57, of the cut off or deflecting gates 56, is controlled by the magnets 60, 60, 61, 61, there being a magnet for each armature. The said magnets are connected to the brushes 63, 63, 64, 64

respectively, of the commutator 22 by the wires 65, 65, 66,"66. These said brushes bear on the rings of the commutator '22, the ringslor the respective brushes being connected to the contacts 67,: 67, 68,68, respectively, by the wires 69 69, 70, 70. The coupled magnets 60', 60, 61, 61, are connected to one pole of the battery 71, by the wires 72, the opposite pole of the battery being connected to thespring contact plate 72, by the wire 73, the circuit to the commutator being completed the moment the contact pin 73,,on the driving shaft 24, makes contact with the plate 72, the circuit being established through the frame or bed plate 221 and its connected parts- .The racingfigures are brought to a stand still the moment thisicontact is made to complete the circuit, the circuit to the register containing the token deposited therein as to a guess for the winning figure of the racing figures, being completed by the propelling arm for such winning figure making engagement with the contact of the circuit for such register. As this circuit is completed,.the magnet thereof draws the armature 59 thereof inwardly, and releases the supported tail. extension of the Cut off or defleeting, gate controlling the runway of such register,

causing the same to lower and throw backward the'said' cut off or deflecting gate, carrying therewith the stop pin-within'such runway and releasing the held token,

in order that the same may fall into the cup or pocket 56. The stop pins supporting the remaining tokens or those deposited within the registers designating the remainder of the racing figures or the losers of the race,

being then forced from within the runways of the registers to release the token contained in each, by m'eans oi the releasing bar 74', which bar lies across the inner 'face of the registers and against which the upper portion of each plate 55 rests. As this bar is forced awayfrom the face of the registers, it moves the said plates 55 to force the stop pins 55 of the remaining registers from within their runways, thus releasing the tokens deposited in such runways and permitting the same to pass into the receptacle 56 located within the apparatus, to receive such released tokens. The said releasing bar 74 is held in position by means of the arms 74 upwardly projecting fromv the spring held rock shaft 54. The said rock shaft is actuated to throw the end of the lever 75 is connected to the outer end of the draw rod '76, which works through suitable guides. The inner end 78 of said rod is upwardly flanged so as to be in the path of the pin 77 projectinglrom the disk 78 secured to the drive shaft 24. As this pin bears against the flanged end-78, it draws the rod 76 inwardly, forcing the upper end of the trip lever 75 outwardly to throw theshaft 54 to actuate the releasing bar 74. The moment the pin 77 is carried past the end 78 of the 1 draw red, the pressure of the spring"79 returns the rod 76 to normal position.

7 As the shaft 24 is rotated during the working of theapparatus, the pin or stud 5? moves away from the lever-52, and the said lever gradually resumes its normal position, at the same time the weight of the bail 56 operates the spring held shaft 54, and part rotates the same to gradually throw the upper portion of the lever 49 inward, to place its upper end in line with and beneath the projection 48 of the arm 48, to hold the fingers 46 against downward movement, until a token has been deposited by the players within one of the registers. I f

-To provide against the battery running down while the apparatus is at rest, the contact made by the pin 73, with the plate 72, is a wiping one, the pin 73 being carried beyond the plate 72 tobreak the circuit through the frame of the device to the commutator, just prior to the driving shaft 24 makingits full stroke.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is.

. tcred guess coincides with the winding -figure of the race.

2. The combination with a racing game apparatus, of means for enabling the players thereof to registerwa guess :is to the winner of the race, through the medium of a deposited token. and of devices actuated by the racing figures for returning the deposited token to the player of the game whose registered guess coincides with the winning figi 'e of the race.

3. The combination with a racing game apparatus, of means associated therewith for enabling thcplayers to deposit a token to register a guess as to the winner of the race, and devices actuated by the racing figures for controlling the return of said deposited token to the depositor thereof in accordance with the coincidence or diversity of the registered guess to the winner of the race.

of the arms 7i", Fig. 10 oi the drawings. The lower 1 racing a apparatus comprising a series racing figures, mechanism forstartlng the racing figures 'romsubstantlally an .a lined position, and bringing the same to a state/of rest at the conclusion of the race with one figure in advanceof the othersfdeyices for separately advancing and retarding the figures-during the racing movement thereof, and means for enablingthe players of posited token to the-depositor thereof in accordance with the coincidence or diversity of the registered guess to the winner of the race.

5. In a racing game apparatus, the combination witha series of racing figures. of means for enabling the players 'thereof to register through the medium of a tokenv a guess as to the winner of the race and returning the deposited token or not in accordance with the coincidence or,di-' versity ofthe registered guess to .the winning. figure of the race.

6. in a racing game apparatus, the combination with the racing figures thereof, of a register for each racing figure for enabling the players of the game to register through the medium of a deposited token a guess as, to the winner of the race, of means actuated by the racing figuresfor returning to the winner of the race the deposited token, and devices for releasing the tokens de-. posited in the registers for the remainingjigures of the race.

-7. In a game apparatus of the-described character, the combination with a series of racing figures, of mechanism for actuating the saine, of devices for advancing and retarding the racing figures during the racing movement thereof in order to positively change the position of the said figures with respect to 'each other, a series. of registering meansfor depositing a token, to register a-guess by the players as to the winner of the figures, a controlling gate for each register, andelectrically controlled means for operating one of said gates to return to the player registering a guess as to the Winning figure of the race the deposited token.

8. In a game apparatus of the described character, the combination with a series of racing figures, of mechanism for propelling said-figures around atrackway, of means for registering a guess as to the winner of the race by the depositing of a token, and of electrically controlled mech' anism for returning the deposited token to the player on the registered guess coinciding with the winning figure of the race.

9. In a game of the described character, the combination with a series of racing figures, of the operating. mechanism thereof, of means whereby the players may register a guess through the medium of a deposited token, and elec- 

